Envision a world where a device that sits on your desk is ready to take orders, track a shipment, or research information on command. Much like today’s Siri, Echo, and Alexa, this device would sit idle and unobtrusive until you needed something, and then it would kick into gear to find out how many on-time orders your fulfillment company shipped last week, help you make a decision based on past buying patterns, or tell you how the storms that are brewing in the Southeastern U.S. will impact your estimated delivery dates.

What many companies don’t realize is that with effective management of big data, this type of actionable information—and the ability to use it to make informed transportation and logistics decisions—is readily available. In fact, after accumulating terabytes of data over the years, most of today’s organizations already have the foundational information right within their own four walls. The challenge lies in extracting this data, determining which of it is (and isn’t) useful, and then turning that information into actionable insights….